The aim of this study was to evaluate the productive performance and benefit-cost ratio (B:C) of fattening lambs in confinement with diets that included Canavalia ensiformis beans in meal (CH) or pelleted (CP). Twelve Pelibuey lambs with an initial live weight of 15.0 ± 0.64 kg were used, randomly assigned to treatments that included CH or CP at levels of 25% (25CH and 25CP) and 50% (50CH and 50CP) as a protein source. Final live weight (FW), daily weight gain (DWG), daily feed intake (DFI), feed conversion ratio (FCR), usable feed efficiency (UFE), and benefit : cost ratio (BCR) were evaluated during the initiation and development stages. In the first period, the variables FW, DFI, FCR, and UFE were similar (p>0.05) between treatments. Control lambs had the highest DWG (270.6 g/d). In the development period, lambs in the Control and 50CH groups had the best FCR and lowest UFE (p<...

The aim of this study was to identify the foremost model that depict the lactation curve of dual-purpose crossbred cows under a humid tropical environment. Six models were compared to describe the lactation curves of three breed groups using 1231 milk records of 160 cows. The breed groups were 0-25%, F1 (50%) and 62.5-75% Holstein x Gyr crosses. Parameters of the models and curves were estimated using non-linear procedures. The best model was determined by the Akaike information criterion. Wood, Sikka and Wilmink models provided a good fit to the lactation curves for the breed groups; however, the Wood model was applied to depict the lactation curves, the day at which lactation peak was reached and milk yield at the peak. The aspect of the curves differed according to the breed group. The low graded Holstein cows had typical standard curves, and the F1 and high graded cows had no lactati...